| There is ample literature concerning the nature of employee training in businesses with more than 100 employees, but little has been recorded about smaller companies and the training they provide to their employees.; The purpose of this study was to contribute to the body of knowledge on small business training. Specifically, it described and analyzed small business training practices focusing on the training needs, methodological and delivery alternatives, and barriers to training experienced by small businesses having fewer than 100 employees.; Useable responses from 15 qualitative interviews of small business owners or staff members and 117 responses to a survey questionnaire sent to the same population were analyzed. Demographic data showed that the typical small business in southern Illinois has been in business for 32 years and employs fewer than 50 employees.; Findings in the study included: (a) small businesses value training, (b) training where there is no in-house expertise or a delivery method such as a video tape is not provided, (c) after specific job training, skills like teamwork, communications, problem solving are needed, (d) business performance monitoring systems are not used to determine the need for employee training, and (e) staff education in training design, development, delivery, and the impact of employee training on business success is lacking.; The top barriers to employee training were a failure to see the benefit of training, unfamiliarity with training providers, courses timed when employees cannot attend, no plan for training, no training staff, and unfamiliarity with financial assistance for training. Finally, it is not the cost of a training course alone but the aggregate cost of lost employee productivity, travel expenses, and then the cost of the course that bar small business employers from providing employee training. |
